Food calories VS exercise calories

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gdean64
gdean64 Posts: 4
in Motivation and Support
I've been getting conflicting info. My P.A tells me no matter how much I exercise to only count the food calories so that I hit my 1200 daily goal. On my food diary here the exercise calories burned are "added" to the amount of food calories I'm taking in. Anybody else have this dilemma or have suggestions?

Replies

  • amdahwd
    amdahwd Posts: 237 Member
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    I have been told to only eat my 1200 calories too by a nutritionist and a personal trainer, but you are going to get many different responses on this site. Good luck deciding what you are going to do. It is really confusing to me.
  • danibabs
    danibabs Posts: 298 Member
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    This comes up alot. Use the search function in the message boards and you'll get more info and opinions then you'll ever want to know lol. For the record, I strongly agree with eating your exercise calories and have had great success with it.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
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    All i know is i was miserable on only 1200, and even more so on 1200 when i exercised.
    now i eat 1845 on rest days, and up to 2500 on workout days.. even doing a half assed job last month i lost a pound a week.
    ive never heard of a man being put on less than 1500 net unless he was super morbidly obese..
  • skywa
    skywa Posts: 901 Member
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    I personally eat my TDEE (i try to atleast) and create a deficit with exercise.

    That way if i eat less, yay. If i eat my tdee, well thats okay too.

    It really depends on what your going for, and how much you weigh and are looking to lose. :3
  • teresaramsey
    teresaramsey Posts: 14 Member
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    I guess it's a matter of trying both and seeing what works for you - good luck!
  • PrincessLou71186
    PrincessLou71186 Posts: 747 Member
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    My PT said to eat about 1700 a day and burn around 5-600 a day, five days a week, giving me an average of 1200 a day NET. However, this hasn't been working for me for about 6 weeks, so I'm going to try to consume only 1200 a day. Eating back my exercise calories back was working for me before but it isn't now.

    Anyway, I shall get to my point. Lol.

    Try just eating 1200 to see how it works for you then try eating a NET of 1200. You will see which gives you the best results and work from them. But give it a few weeks to get better 'readings'.

    Good luck. X
  • danmoffett
    danmoffett Posts: 110
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    I'm so glad I am not a slave to food, a slave to counting calories. It must be terrible.
    I've lost 155 pounds in the past 24 months all without EVER counting a calorie, or weighing food, or logging food.
    Read about how I did in on my blog. If I can do it you can do it.

    FREEDOM!
  • trumocha1213
    trumocha1213 Posts: 3
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    Please someone help me I've been eating enough to get me full but according to the calorie counter on here and it seems that I'm not eating enough. Is something wrong with the amount that I am eating
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
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    Please someone help me I've been eating enough to get me full but according to the calorie counter on here and it seems that I'm not eating enough. Is something wrong with the amount that I am eating
    open your food diary and we can help more :)
  • jenna715
    jenna715 Posts: 201
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    I'm so glad I am not a slave to food, a slave to counting calories. It must be terrible.
    I've lost 155 pounds in the past 24 months all without EVER counting a calorie, or weighing food, or logging food.
    Read about how I did in on my blog. If I can do it you can do it.

    FREEDOM!

    This is kind of a calorie counting website. I'm not a slave to food, it probably takes me 5 minutes or less total to log all my food for the day. Calorie counting is all that's worked for me my entire life. Don't knock it, different things work for different people.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    MFP already calculated a deficit for you when it gave you your daily calorie goal. So, when you exercise - it adds that to your daily calories, so you'll net the correct amount.

    If you eat 1200 calories - 400 burned working off = 800 net. For most people that is too low and creates too large of a deficit (which actually works against weight loss). So, you eat another 400 calories and now your net is 1200 again. MFP will show that you've consumed 1600 calories, which you did - but, you burned 400 of them working out.

    Net calories are what is important since that is the number of calories you're truly giving your body. Make sure you're going to NET 1200 calories a day.

    Also, keep in mind that when weight loss stalls for most people they need to UP their calories and not lower them. People want fast weight loss, so they set their daily calories as low as they possibly can to try and create a larger deficit to lose faster. This will work temporarily, but is not long term sustainable. By severely restricting your calories, you slow your metabolism down. A slow metabolism = slow (or stopped) weight loss.

    Eat to lose!
  • madeinforks
    madeinforks Posts: 50 Member
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    I can't imagine a guy being put on a 1200 calorie diet..thats starving to me! I am on a 1500 calorie by my PT and I try to keep my calories eaten at that even when i exercise..it all depends on WHAT you eat that can make a difference in your energy level too...but somedays I just need more than 1500 so I try to listen to my body also..I am having success and losing almost 2 lb a week doing this and that is with 3-4 hours exercising weekly. I just think you need to rethink the 1200 calories especially for a guy..

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